MANILA, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. lashed out at the claims made by former President Rodrigo Duterte that he is a drug addict and said the possibility of the fentanyl Duterte is using made him drop such claims.
He stopped short of saying Duterte was hallucinating as a result of an overdose of the painkiller for him to say those things against him.
“I think it’s fentanyl. Fentanyl is the strongest painkiller that you can buy. It is highly addictive, and it has very serious side effects, and PRRD has been taking the drug for a very long time now,” Marcos said Monday.
During the Candle Light Prayer rally held in Davao on Sunday, Duterte claimed that Marcos is a drug addict, adding that the military ranks are aware of Marcos’ addiction.
Meanwhile, according to Marcos, the former chief executive told him that he was taking fentanyl years ago.
He asked Duterte’s doctors to take good care of the former president as the adverse effects of the fentanyl were now showing.
“When was the last time he told us that he was taking fentanyl?”Mga five, six years ago, something like that. After five, six years, it has to affect him, kaya palagay ko, kaya nagkakaganyan. So, you know, I hope his doctors take better care of him than this—hindi pinababayaan itong mga nagiging problema,” Marcos said.
Aside from Duterte, the younger Duterte, Baste, mayor of Davao City, has called on Marcos in a separate forum to resign if he has no “love and aspirations” for the country.
These claims were made during the Hakbang ng Maisug Leaders Forum, where several figures from the Duterte and Marcos administrations were present to discuss the implications of the charter change on the democratic space of the country once amended.
The event likewise coincided with the launch of the “Bagong Pilipinas” campaign, which heightened questions of failing out between the two political families known for their “U
niTeam” brand during the 2022 Presidential and Vice Presidential elections.
Marcos is currently off to Vietnam for a state visit, his first for this year, a day after he inaugurated the “Bagong Pilipinas” campaign, which was tagged as his “brand” of leadership and governance.
He said the visit aims to strengthen maritime cooperation, trade, and investment deals.
“Maritime cooperation will be one of the cornerstones of the strategic partnership that we are going to forge, and we hope to strengthen this aspect during my visit to promote peace and stability in our region,” Marcos said in his departure speech.
